C. Michael Dudash, Claude Conover and Corita Kent works are featured lots at Vallot Nov. 30

C. Michael Dudash, 'Shadowland,' estimated at $8,000-$12,000 at Vallot Auctioneers.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Estate auctions are often packed with hidden treasures. A collector will buy an item and enjoy it for his or her lifetime, and then it reemerges at auction to start another collecting cycle. Numerous collections are reflected in Vallot’s Thursday, November 30 Fall Estate Auction, with 214 lots of art, ethnographic and prehistoric items vying for attention. The catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

The sale’s top-estimated lot is an untitled landscape oil on canvas by Native American artist Earl Biss (1947-1998). The light-to-shadow study shows Indian blanket-wrapped riders on horseback as part of a journey. The 66 by 21.5in painting is estimated at $10,000-$15,000.

C. Michael Dudash (b. 1952-) is known for his American West-themed works, but his talent really shines through in his use of perspective, in which he leverages the expanse of long vistas as a perfect backdrop for his foreground subject matter. Shadowland is a 20 by 30in oil on board with American Indian riders magnified by their shadows against a canyon wall. It carries an estimate of $8,000-$12,000.

The remarkable story of Claude Conover (1907-1994) demands telling. He attended art school with the sole intention of gaining a career as a commercial artist, dabbling in sculpture in his off-hours away from the advertising agency. In the early 1950s he pursued earthenware full-time, winning awards and acclaim until his retirement in 1990. Poco is a floor vessel in classic Conover style, measuring 22.75 by 12.5in and estimated at $6,000-$8,000.

A single-owner collection of Corita Kent screenprints (1918-1984) is also an important area of the sale. A former nun and social activist turned artist, Kent, who is also known as Sister Mary Corita Kent, made message-heavy works that spoke directly to the 1960s generation, from whom she gained most support. For Roses is a 1965 screenprint of hers estimated at $1,000-$2,000.

Toshiko Takaezu, Betty Woodman, Lucie Rie and Claude Conover headline Rago’s Oct. 4 sale

Toshiko Takaezu, 'Spring Moon (with rattle),' which sold for $140,000 ($183,400 with buyer’s premium) at Rago.

LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. — Rago, along with its partners Wright and Los Angeles Modern Auctions, have combined forces to present some of the most prominent names in postwar and contemporary ceramics on Wednesday, October 4. The catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011) was a driving force in redefining clay as an artistic medium. Her focus on Abstractionism placed her as a leader in the postwar scene, with her works gaining international attention in the 1950s and ’60s. Takaezu’s work helped transform ceramics from everyday household objects to a medium for artistic expression.

The top lot in the sale is a well-known work from Takaezu that comes from a private collection in Tucson, Arizona. Spring Moon (With Rattle) features unforgettable glazing and is estimated at $70,000-$90,000.

Pillow Pitcher is a circa-1985 glazed earthenware work by Betty Woodman (1930-2018). Like many in her generation, Woodman began making functional ceramics but soon moved to more expressionist designs while retaining a degree of functionality, an aesthetic that Pillow Pitcher represents. The lot carries an estimate of $25,000-$35,000.

The sale also showcases numerous pieces from noted postwar ceramicists. There are four works from Lucie Rie (1902-1995), topped by a large bottle with a flaring lip estimated at $10,000-$15,000. Four works from famed ceramic artist Claude Conover (1907-1994) are featured as well, including a rare Totonac vessel, estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

From Claude Conover vessels to antique portraits, Neue delivers, May 20

Claude Conover ‘Kohnal’ stoneware vessel, estimated at $3,000-$5,000
Claude Conover ‘Kohnal’ stoneware vessel, estimated at $3,000-$5,000
Claude Conover ‘Kohnal’ stoneware vessel, estimated at $3,000-$5,000

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – An 1854 Portrait of a Gentleman by British artist John Thomas Peele (1822-1897), a large Louis XV-style rock crystal chandelier, and a stoneware vessel by Claude Conover (American, 1907-1994), titled Kohnal, are a few expected top lots in Neue Auctions’ online-only Decorative Objects, Fine Art & Antiques auction planned for Saturday, May 20. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Two antique maps sell for combined $147K at Neue Auctions

Circa-1482 or later map of the Persian and Red Seas, after Claudius Ptolemy, $110,700
Circa-1482 or later map of the Persian and Red Seas, after Claudius Ptolemy, $110,700
Circa-1482 or later map of the Persian and Red Seas, after Claudius Ptolemy, $110,700

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Talk about an eclectic sale. The top five lots in Neue Auctions’ 342-lot Estate Fine Art and Antiques auction, held online on March 11, were a pair of antique maps that sold for a staggering combined sum of $147,600; a typed letter signed by Albert Einstein that realized $10,455; a carved and painted carousel giraffe that earned $9,840; and a stoneware vessel made by Claude Conover that brought $7,380.

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Heads up for Dentzel carousel giraffe at Neue’s March 11 auction

Carved and painted carousel giraffe, crafted circa 1910 by Gustav and William Dentzel, estimated at $5,000-$10,000
Carved and painted carousel giraffe, crafted circa 1910 by Gustav and William Dentzel, estimated at $5,000-$10,000
Carved and painted carousel giraffe, crafted circa 1910 by Gustav and William Dentzel, estimated at $5,000-$10,000

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Neue Auctions’ 343-lot, online-only Neue to You – Estate Fine Art and Antiques auction on Saturday, March 11, starting at noon Eastern time, is filled with fine art, antiques, Mid-century Modern pieces, Modern art, sterling, bronzes, decorative arts, printwork, maps, fine furniture and carpets from prominent estates and collections. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Sam Gilliam abstract work topped offerings at Neue’s Modern sale

Sam Gilliam, ‘Pantheon #5,’ $67,650
Sam Gilliam, ‘Pantheon #5,’ $67,650
Sam Gilliam, ‘Pantheon #5,’ $67,650

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – An abstract work by African American artist Sam Gilliam (b. 1933-) sold for $67,650 in an online-only May Modern auction held May 28 by Neue Auctions.

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Gallery Report: 1867 Winslow Homer painting tops $900K

ATLANTA – At the beginning of every month, ACN columnist Ken Hall delivers top auction highlights from around the United States and the world at large. Here’s his December 2021 edition of Gallery Report. All prices include the buyer’s premium, except where noted.

Winslow Homer painting, $936,000, Thomaston Place Auction Galleries

An oil on canvas painting by Winslow Homer, titled Coming through the Rye, painted in France and inscribed “Homer/Paris 1867,” sold for $936,000 at a sale held November 12-14 by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Thomaston, Maine. Also, an 18th-century Chinese flambe glazed moon flask with Qianlong seal mark made $180,000, and a Tiffany Dragonfly table lamp brought $99,450.

Burchfield watercolor, $375,000, Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers

A watercolor on two joined sheets of paper by Charles Burchfield, created between 1948 and 1957 and titled January Sun, sold for $375,000 in an online Fall Fine Art Auction held October 28 by Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers in Milford, Connecticut. Also, a 1943 oil on board by Thomas Hart Benton, titled Study for Sugar Cane, finished at $275,000; and a 1901 oil painting by Susan Watkins, titled Woman Playing a Guitar, hit $106,250.

Kikuo Saito abstract art, $14,760, Neue Auctions

An abstract oil painting by Japanese-American artist Kikuo Saito, titled Summer Ghost (1997), sold for $14,760 in an online-only Fine Art & Antiques auction held October 30 by Neue Auctions in Beachwood, Ohio. Also, a colorful Parisian street scene by Constantin Kluge, titled Place de la Madeleine, realized $9,840, and a large Milpa stoneware vessel by Claude Conover finished at $8,610.

1871 Union Pacific Railroad pass, $5,125, Holabird Western Americana Collections

A Union Pacific Railroad complimentary pass (#1), issued to General A. W. Marley on Dec. 31, 1871, sold for $5,125 at an Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction held Oct. 28-Nov. 1 by Holabird Western Americana Collections in Reno, Nevada. Also, a 1947 50-peso Mexican gold coin with 14-carat bezel reached $3,125, and a group of six vintage gaming chips for Harrah’s and other Nevada casinos went for $3,875.

Galle cameo glass vase, $6,600, Woody Auction

A blown mold French cameo glass vase signed Galle and featuring a cameo carved vine and blossom decor sold for $6,600 at the sale of the Jochimsen collection held October 23 by Woody Auction in Douglass, Kansas. Also, a Fenton mosaic art glass pedestal also knocked down for $6,600; a Galle French cameo art glass vase with blown mold cherry branch decor realized $4,750; and an unmarked Royal Flemish by Mt. Washington vase with griffin and dragon enamel decor changed hands for $3,000.

B. Prabha painting, $38,750, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers

A painting by B. Prabha, titled Indian Women Painting, sold for $38,750 in an online-only Estate Fine Art & Antique Auction held November 15 by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers in Cranston, Rhode Island. Also, a Cubist figural watercolor by Maqbool Fida Husain, of a couple on horseback, achieved $10,625; and a mixed media mounted to canvas portrait painting by the infamous forger Han Van Meegeren brought $5,938.

Captain America shield, $259,540, Hake’s Auctions

A Captain America hero-prop shield created by Marvel Studios senior prop master Russell Bobbitt and used by Chris Evans for close-up shots in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame sold for $259,540 in an online Premier Entertainment & Historical Memorabilia Auction held November 2-3 by Hake’s Auctions in York, Pennsylvania. Also, a copy of Fantastic Four #1 comic (Nov. 1961), CGC-graded 6.0 Fine, featuring the debut of Marvel’s first superhero team, knocked down for $37,269.

1980 Nobel Prize, $275,000, Nate D. Sanders

The 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, awarded to George D. Snell, sold for $275,000 at an auction held October 30 by Nate D. Sanders in Los Angeles. Snell won the Nobel Prize for his discovery of MHC, the genetic foundation of a body’s immunological response to tissue and organ transplants, determining whether it accepts an organ or rejects it. The first successful organ transplant occurred in 1954, when one identical twin donated a kidney to his sibling.

Apollo 17 cuff checklist, $744,000, RR Auction

Astronaut Gene Cernan’s Apollo 17 cuff checklist, which provided instructions for man’s last moonwalk and held handwritten notes for the last words spoken from the surface of the Moon, sold for $744,000 in an auction held Sept. 26-Oct. 21 by RR Auction in Boston. Also, Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11-flown Lunar Module checklist hit $143,750; Aldrin’s Apollo 11-flown flight form page reached $129,693; and an Apollo 11 First on the Moon book, signed by its crew members, made $41,721.

Amy Winehouse dress, $243,200, Julien’s Auctions

The dress worn by the late British singer Amy Winehouse at her final stage performance in 2011 sold for $243,200 at an auction titled Property from the Life and Career of Amy Winehouse, held November 6-7 by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles. Also, the Moschino custom-made red leather heart-shaped purse she brought to the 2007 Brit Awards made $204,800; a floral gold lame D&G stage-worn dress realized $150,000; and a Temperly London tan and black jumpsuit worn by her in 2008 brought $121,600.

The Light and Heavy Chest$156,000, Potter & Potter Auctions

The Light and Heavy Chest, a magic trick apparatus made in France in 1844 and owned and used by Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, achieved $156,000 at Part 1 of The Klosterman Collection, a sale held October 30 by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. The hardwood box became light as a feather or immovable, depending on the magician’s command. Also, Karl Germain’s Blooming Rose Bush illusion made $132,000, and Harry Houdini’s Upside Down in the Water Torture Cell poster brought $108,000.

Hopi Indian pottery bowl, $9,000, Pook & Pook, Inc.

A Hopi Sikyatki revival pottery bowl, likely made by the celebrated potter Nampeyo, sold for a little more than $9,000 at a Native American Indian Sale held October 27 by Pook & Pook, Inc. in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Also, an authentic Navajo coin silver squash blossom necklace earned $8,064; a group of three Hopi kachinas realized $4,221; an Algonquin style miniature birch bark canoe model with moose and deer designs made $3,024; and a child-size Navajo rug achieved $3,906.

Paul Revere engraving, $429,000, Doyle New York

Paul Revere’s iconic 1770 hand-colored engraving of the famous Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770, titled The Bloody Massacre, sold for $429,000 – a new auction record for the print – at an American Paintings & Prints auction held November 2 by Doyle in New York City. Also, a landscape by Fidelia Bridges titled Small Bird with Flowering Ironweed rose to $93,750, setting a record for the artist, and a marine painting by William Bradford also hit $93,750.

Claude Conover vessel, $87,500, Wright

A chalky, engobe-decorated Oltah vessel by Claude Conover sold for $87,500 at an auction titled Shaping Stoneware: The Ceramic Forms of Claude Conover held October 28 by Wright in Chicago. It was the most ever paid for a work by Conover, eclipsing the $53,125 realized by a Uilku vessel at Rago Auctions in 2015. Another piece shattered that record in the October auction: a Uchben vessel that brought $75,000. Overall, the sale grossed $1.229 million.

Early Apple-1 computer, $500,000, John Moran Auctioneers

A vintage Apple-1 computer, known as the Chaffey College Apple-1 as it was originally purchased in 1977 by an electronics professor at the school (who sold it the following year to a student for $650) sold for $500,000 at a Postwar & Contemporary Art + Design sale held Nov. 9 by John Moran Auctioneers in Monrovia, California. Also, a painting by Ariana Papademetropoulos earned $162,500, and a color lithograph by Alexander Calder brought $8,125.

Chippendale chest, $25,200, Nadeau’s Auction Gallery

A circa-1780 diminutive chest from Massachusetts sold for $25,200 at an annual Fall Americana and Chinese Auction held October 30 by Nadeau’s Auction Gallery in Windsor, Connecticut. Also, an elegant blue and white Chinese urn changed hands for $20,480; a portrait of a nobleman done in the manner of Jean de Court finished at $15,600; and a pair of cylindrical polychromed Majolica vessels realized $12,500.

Set of two Lalanne Moutons$705,600, Freeman’s

A suite of playful Moutons (Sheep) de Pierre by Francois-Xavier Lalanne sold for $705,600 at a Modern and Contemporary Art auction held November 17 by Freeman’s in Philadelphia. Also, a bold canvas by Russian Expressionist Chaim Soutine, titled Le Viaduc Rouge Pres de Vence, achieved $302,400; an Untitled (Study for Fiery Circle) sculpture by Harry Bertoia hit $107,100; and Vietnamese artist Vu Cao Dam’s painting titled Divinite rose to $40,950.

 

View top auction results on LiveAuctioneers here: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/

Variety of art genres found favor at Neue auction

Constantin Kluge, ‘Place de la Madeleine,’ $9,840
Constantin Kluge, ‘Place de la Madeleine,’ $9,840
Constantin Kluge, ‘Place de la Madeleine,’ $9,840

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – An oil painting by the Japanese-American artist Kikuo Saito (1939-2016), a colorful Parisian street scene by Constantin Kluge (French, 1912-2003), and a large stoneware vessel by Claude Conover (American, 1907-1994) all finished well above their high estimates in Neue Auctions’ online-only Fine Art & Antiques auction on October 30.

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Wright triumphs with sale of Claude Conover ceramics

Claude Conover, ‘Rare Oltah vessel,’ $87,500
Claude Conover, ‘Rare Oltah vessel,’ $87,500
Claude Conover, Rare Oltah vessel, $87,500

CHICAGO – Wright’s special presentation auction titled Shaping Stoneware: The Ceramic Forms of Claude Conover was an unprecedented success, achieving outstanding results that broke multiple records and far surpassed expectations. The auction realized a sale total of $1,228,600, with 100% sold by lot and 407% sold by value. All works exceeded their high estimate.

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Neue Auctions serves up Tiffany silver monteith, Oct. 30

Circa-1966 Tiffany & Company monteith, est. $2,000-$4,000
 Circa-1966 Tiffany & Company monteith, est. $2,000-$4,000

Circa-1966 Tiffany & Co., monteith, est. $2,000-$4,000

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Neue Auctions’ online-only Fine Art & Antiques auction will take place Saturday, October 30, starting at 10 am Eastern time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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